The Koi Wife of the Prime Minister

Chapter 197 Ill-fated

As the ingredients were put into the pot, an enticing aroma quickly spread, and the air around seemed to become sweet.

Shen Yan gently turned the ingredients with a spatula to ensure that they were evenly cooked on each side until they were golden and crispy.

The fried golden fish and shrimps and fragrant mushrooms are taken out and set aside to drain the oil.

Shen Yan then took out some fresh herbs and garlic cloves that she had prepared in advance, chopped them into fine pieces, sprinkled them on the fried ingredients, and then gently mixed them.

Shopkeeper Li went to the stream to get some clear spring water and poured it into the bowls he had brought with him as a accompaniment to their delicious meal.

At this time, the sun slowly set, casting warm golden afterglow, shining on Shen Yan's smiling face and the cooking scene.

She looked at the ingredients in the pot and nodded with satisfaction. Everything was just as she had imagined, simple and beautiful.

Finally, when everything was ready, they sat down at a small wooden table next to the rock and enjoyed this feast of delicious food prepared in the embrace of nature with their own hands.

Every sip carries the fresh scent of the mountains and the warm taste of the sunshine, making this spring outing even more meaningful.

While eating, Shopkeeper Li took out the plums he had just picked from the tree. They were very crisp and sweet. They were full and juicy after taking a bite. I couldn't tell you how satisfied I was.

There were some sour plums, and Shopkeeper Li picked them out and said they were inedible.

But Shen Yan smiled: "Shopkeeper Li, this is still edible. Although these plums are still green, they are delicious when mixed with sour plum powder and chili powder."

Shopkeeper Li was surprised: "Can you eat it this way?"

Shen Yan smiled and said, "Of course, I'll do it for you right away."

Shen Yan smiled and took some sour plums handed over by Manager Li, carefully selected a few of the most suitable ones, and placed them in a small bowl.

She picked up a small knife and deftly cut the plum pulp into small pieces, then poured the pulp into a clean container.

The water in the stream nearby was crystal clear. Shen Yan scooped up some cool spring water from the stream and rinsed the fruit pulp clean.

She poured out the water and drained the plum pulp, keeping it ready for later use.

Then, Shen Yan took out the prepared sour plum powder and chili powder. She first sprinkled a layer of sour plum powder evenly on the plum flesh and gently mixed it, so that each piece of flesh was coated with a subtle sweet and sour taste.

"Shopkeeper Li, try it." Shen Yan smiled and handed Shopkeeper Li a piece of processed sour plum.

Shopkeeper Li took a piece and took a careful bite. Suddenly, he showed a pleasant surprise on his face. He didn't expect that sour plums could be eaten in this way. It not only retained the sour taste of the fruit itself, but also added the sweetness of sour plum powder, and a little bit of spicy chili powder. It was so delicious.

"Master, this is simply amazing!" Shopkeeper Li praised repeatedly.

Shen Yan smiled, then processed the remaining sour plum pulp and put it into small bowls one by one.

Each piece of pulp is carefully processed by her to ensure the perfect texture and taste in every bite.

At this time, the sun had already set, casting a golden glow over the entire forest.

They sat at the small stone table, eating delicious food and enjoying this rare quiet time.

Shen Yan's heart was filled with satisfaction and happiness.

Especially the sour plums. Although they are a bit sour, they can really help relieve the greasiness when eating fish, and they have a unique flavor.

After the two of them finished eating, Shen Yan put out the fire under the stove and covered the fire, for fear that sparks would ignite the forest and harm the people around. Shen Yan took fire prevention awareness very seriously.

Now that they were full and satisfied, Shen Yan and Shopkeeper Li thought about going down the mountain. Going down the mountain was of course much easier than going up, and the carriage was also light. But before the carriage reached the foot of the mountain, the two suddenly heard a woman crying outside the carriage.

Shopkeeper Li's face changed slightly. He pulled open the curtain of the sedan chair and saw a small house at the foot of the mountain. The small house looked very dilapidated. Not only could he hear a woman crying, but he could also hear a man cursing. It was really terrifying.

Shopkeeper Li couldn't stand it, so he got off the carriage and asked, "What's going on?"

Someone nearby came up to her quickly and said, "Madam, please don't bother with it. I'm afraid it would pollute your eyes if I went in."

Perhaps the man saw that Shopkeeper Li was well-dressed and looked like the wife of a wealthy family, so he went forward to comfort her. However, Shopkeeper Li was a busybody, especially when he encountered injustice, he would intervene.

She called her maid: "Chunjuan, bring a stool."

Chunjuan agreed, brought a chair for Li to sit on, and then said to the others in a stern voice: "Call the person in charge here. Since you know this is my wife, I want to see if there are any things in your yard that our wife cannot control."

Soon, the person in charge of Taoyuan arrived.

Seeing Manager Li coming, the manager was very efficient. He rewarded and punished the people working in the peach garden. Those who did not work properly were punished according to the rules. After doing all this, he called the people in the small house out.

It turned out that the person who had just been crying in the hut was a woman in her forties. She looked very beautiful, but unfortunately she was deaf and could not speak. She could only squeak and seemed a little scary at first glance.

Shopkeeper Li asked seriously, "What's going on?"

The manager looked at her and seemed very angry. He immediately felt wronged and explained, "Madam, this woman is not from our Taoyuan. This is what happened. If you listen to me, you will know that I am wronged."

This woman was not from this place decades ago. She was picked up from the mountain by someone in the village. But at that time, the woman could no longer speak, and she didn't remember where her home was or who her parents were. Coincidentally, the man who picked her up was an old bachelor with no relatives, so he simply married this woman.

Although the woman was deaf and dumb, she was in good health. Less than a year after she was picked up, she became pregnant. However, when she was about to give birth, she had a difficult labor. Seeing that his child had difficulty being born, the man was anxious and hurried to ask for a midwife. However, before the midwife arrived, the man was accidentally washed away by the water while crossing the river.

Fortunately, the woman finally gave birth to the child successfully, but when the neighbors found it, the child was already dead. After all, the woman was not very smart and did not know how to ask for help when she encountered problems.

After that, the woman went even crazier, snatching children from the village. She thought any child she saw was her own. The villagers were also afraid that their children would be snatched away. If something unexpected happened to them, it would be terrible. Everyone had no choice but to build a house for the woman at the foot of the mountain. Although it was shabby, it was still habitable. As for food, it all depended on everyone's help.

But I don’t know why, women stay alone for a long time.